Systems utilizing integrated roofing accessories for controlling directions of communications and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11588235-B2
Application number	US-202117164767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2021
Priority date	Sep 4, 2019
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present disclosure include controlling directions of communications including a processor to obtain performance data of an integrated roofing accessory installed on a roof, the integrated roofing accessory including an antenna and a transceiver to enable fifth generation cellular networking (5G) protocol communication with a 5G-enabled device, and an adjustable attachment to orient or position the antenna. The performance data is indicative of 5G signal performance between the integrated roofing accessory and the 5G-enabled device. A signal performance affecting condition is determined using the performance data, where the signal performance affecting condition is a reduced signal performance of a 5G signal beam of the antenna. An improved orientation or an improved position of the antenna is determined to remedy the signal performance affecting condition. The adjustable attachment is controlled to physically adjust he orientation of the position to achieve the improved orientation or position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining, by at least one processor, performance data of an integrated roofing accessory installed on a roof;
wherein the integrated roofing accessory comprises:
at least one antenna and at least one transceiver to enable fifth generation cellular networking (5G) protocol communication with at least one 5G-enabled device, and
at least one adjustable attachment configured to at least one of orient or position the at least one antenna;

wherein the performance data is indicative of 5G signal performance between the integrated roofing accessory and the at least one 5G-enabled device;

determining, by the at least one processor, a signal performance affecting condition based, at least in part, on the performance data;
wherein the signal performance affecting condition is a reduced signal performance of at least one 5G signal beam emitted by the at least one antenna according to control by the at least one transceiver;

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one of an improved orientation or an improved position of the at least one antenna to remedy the signal performance affecting condition; and
at least one of:
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment to physically adjust an orientation of the at least one antenna to achieve the improved orientation, or
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment to physically adjust a position of the at least one antenna to achieve the improved position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the improved performance comprises:
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment to at least one of:
physically adjust an orientation of at least one antenna to at least one predetermined orientation, or
physically adjust a position of at least one antenna to at least one predetermined position;

obtaining, by the at least one processor, sample performance data for at least one of a predetermined range of orientations for the at least one of antenna or a predetermined range of positions for the at least one of antenna; and
at least one of:
determining, by the at least one processor, the improved orientation to be an orientation of the at least one antenna having the greatest performance based, at least in part, on the sample performance data, or
determining, by the at least one processor, the improved position to be a position of the at least one antenna having the greatest performance based, at least in part, on the sample performance data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the improved orientation comprises:
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment to physically steer the at least one antenna from a previous orientation to a new orientation;
obtaining, by the at least one processor, sample performance data for the new orientation; and
determining, by the at least one processor, the improved orientation to be one of the previous orientation or the new orientation that has the greatest performance based, at least in part, on the sample performance data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal performance affecting condition is caused by an insufficient field-of-view (FOV) of the at least one antenna.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal performance affecting condition is caused by an environmental obstruction.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the improved orientation of the at least one antenna is an orientation where the 5G protocol communication is directed around the environmental obstruction.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing to rotate, by the at least one processor, a gear engaged with the at least one adjustable attachment to cause the at least one adjustable attachment to physically adjust the orientation the at least one antenna to achieve the improved orientation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor, at least one motor of the at least one adjustable attachment to cause the at least one adjustable attachment to physically adjust the orientation the at least one antenna to achieve the improved orientation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one motor comprises a linear actuator.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one motor comprises an electric motor.

11. A method comprising:
obtaining, by at least one processor, initial performance data of a plurality of integrated roofing accessories installed on a roof;
wherein each integrated roofing accessory of the plurality of integrated roofing accessories comprises:
an antenna of a plurality of antennae and an transceiver of to enable fifth generation cellular networking (5G) protocol communication with at least one 5G-enabled device, and
an adjustable attachment of a plurality of adjustable attachments configured to at least one of orient or position the an antenna of the plurality of antennae;

wherein the initial performance data is indicative of a baseline 5G signal performance between the plurality of integrated roofing accessories and the 5G-enabled device;
wherein the initial performance data is for at least one of an initial orientation or an initial position of at least one antenna of the plurality of antennae;

controlling, by the at least one processor, at least one adjustable attachment of the plurality of adjustable attachments to iteratively and physically adjust the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennae to at least one of a subsequent orientation or a subsequent position;
obtaining, by the at least one processor, subsequent performance data for the plurality of antennae of the plurality of integrated roofing accessories;
determining, by the at least one processor, an optimal 5G signal performance based at least in part on the subsequent performance data;
wherein the optimal 5G signal performance is associated with at least one of an optimal orientation or an optimal position of the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennae; and

at least one of:
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment of the plurality of adjustable attachments to physically adjust the at least one antenna to the optimal orientation, or
controlling, by the at least one processor, the at least one adjustable attachment of the plurality of adjustable attachments to physically adjust the at least one antenna to the optimal position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the optimal orientation or the optimal position improves on an insufficient field-of-view (FOV) of the at least one antenna.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the optimal orientation or the optimal position avoids an environmental obstruction.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the optimal orientation or the optimal position comprises a physical steering of the at least one antenna to re-orient the 5G protocol communication around the environmental obstruction.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising causing to rotate, by the at least one processor, at least one gear engaged with the at least one adjustable attachment of the plurality of attachments to cause the at least one antenna of the plurality of antennae to achieve the at least one of the optimal orientation or the optimal position.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor, at least one motor of the at least one adjustable attachment of the plu

Assignees

• Bmic Llc

Inventors

• Robinson Rich
• Riley Xavier

Classifications

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q3/04

  for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation · CPC title

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H01Q1/1257

  using the received signal strength · CPC title